Lubricating oil



UNITED STATES,

PATENT oF cE 'LUBRICATING on Sidney Musher, New York, N. Y., assignor to Musher Foundation Incorporated, New York,- N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing.

Application Name 17, 1939,

Serial No. 304,945

I The present invention relates to the improvement of lubricating oils.

It isamongthe objects of the present invention to provide improved lubricating oils which will have a decreased tendency toward sludge formation and which will have lessened tendency to cause corrosion of metallic surfaces with which such lubricating oils may come in contact.

Still further objects and advantages'willappear from the more detailed description setiforthbelow, it being understood, however, that'this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only, and not by way of: limitation, since various changes therein may-be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope andspirit of the present invention.

It has been found that aryl phosphites, triphenyl phosphites and hydroxy and/or amino aromatic compounds do not function most satisfactorily in lubricating oils to inhibit the formation of sludge and to reduce the tendency of the lubricating oil toward producing corrosion on metal surfaces. 7

It has however been found that combinations of lecithin with certain aromatic hydroxy compounds and amino compounds'and particularly polyhydroxy, polyamino andaminohydroxy compounds are most eflective and surprisingly active in stabilizing lubricating oils at elevated temperatures.

Although it is preferred to use the polyhydroxy, polyamino, and hydroxyamino nuclear com- 1 pounds, it also has been found satisfactory to use even poly-nuclear monohydroxy or monoamino compounds.

Among the preferred compounds that may be employed in combination with lecithin at the ele-. vated temperature after addition to the lubricating oil are hydroquinone, pyrogallol, catechol, eugenol, thymol, tannins, tannic acid,

- polyphenols, alphanaphthol, naphthoquinones,

phenylbetanaphthylamine, andpara-aminophenol, monobenzyl-p-aminophenol, and. other aminophenols, diphenylethylenediamine, benzylm-phenylenediamine, and other aromatic diamines, p-fliminodimethyla'nillne and diphenylhydrazine. These various materials are included in the expression substituted aranes.

Less preferably, aromatic acids maybe utilized, particularly aromatic carboxy' acids containing one or more amino groups or .hydroxy groups 2 either in the nucleus or in aliphatic side chains.

It is, of course, possible to usederivatives of theabove identified compounds in which one or more 12 Claims; (Cl. 252-51) of the hydrogen atoms in the benzene or naphthalene nucleus or in thealiphatic side chain or I in the amino or hydroxy groups, is or are replaced .by alkyl, aryl, hydroxy, amino, alkoxy or nitro groups although this is usually not preferred.

It has been found that the lecithin which is employed for combination with these various compounds is most satisfactorily a crude lecithin I derived from vegetable sources, particularly from soyabeans, cottonseedor com.

This lecithin preferably should be added to or combined with the aromatic compounds in amounts varying from to 30 parts of lecithin for each 20 parts of the aromatic compound.

The lecithin when mixed with the aromatic compounds should preferably contain between and 60% of a 'glyceride oil, preferably a vegetable glyceride oil. I

This combination of lecithin and the aromatic compounds, and preferably the glyceride oil, with or without heating before addition, is mixed with a lubricating oil and thoroughly dispensed therethrough, the lubricatingoil during the addition or after the addition being heated with agitation to a temperature in excess of 350 F. and desirably to between 400? F. and 600 F.

It has been found that the interaction of the lubricating oil, lecithin and the aromatic compound is not most satisfactorily obtained unless the high heat treatment is applied'to the lubricating oil after or during addition of the combination of lecithin and the aromatic compound, and it has been particularly found desirable that such heat treatment should be conducted with substantial agitation. for aperiod of atleast 10 minutes and the treatment maybe conveniently continued for as long as several hours or more.

This is quite surprising due to the fact, that normally lubricating oils, as well as lecithin, are decomposed or broken down and rendered more subject to deterioration as a result of being sub- Jected to such elevated temperatures. In accordance with this invention it is necessary for the lubricating oil to be subjected tothe elevated temperature in excess of 350 F.. together with and after having had thoroughly admixed therein the combination of the lecithin and the arcmatic compounds in order to develop the desiredcatalytic action takes place, but the heat treatment is necessary in order to obtain the desired effect upon the lubricating oil to retard sludge formation and corrosive tendencies of the oil.

It has been found most satisfactory to add the combination of lecithin and the aromatic compound in amounts varying from 0.075% to as much as 0.75% although generally between 0.2% and 0.4% are sufficient to show a marked effect upon the lubricating oil that is treated at the elevated temperature with the combination of lecithin and the aromatic compound.

Preferably an equal mixture of the lecithin and the aromatic compound by weight is employed rather than other proportions as it has generally been found that where an equal mixture of the lecithin and the aromatic compound is prepared and added to the lubricating oil during or followed by the elevated temperature treatment, the most desirable effect on the lubricating oil is obtained.

Although it has been found that polyhydroxy, polyamino, and/or aminohydroxy compounds of mono-nuclear or poly-nuclear nature or monoamino or monohydroxy compounds of polynuclear nature are most satisfactorily employed, it is also possible to use in combination with or in lieu of such compounds with the lecithin the following compounds:

(a) Monohydroxy-aryl compounds such as p-cresol, substituted 0- and pphenols, and betanaphthol and their derivatives;

(2)) Monoamino-aryl compounds such as aniline, substituted 0- and palpha and betanaphthylamines, methyl and ethylalphanaphthylamines, diphenylamine, phenylalphanaphthylamine, aldolalphanaphthylamine, m-toluidine, phenylbetanaphthylamine, acetalaniline, aromatic amines, dimethylaniline, amino-diphenyls, benzidine and amino-naphthols and their derivatives;

(c) Amine condensation products with aldehydes and ketones, such as benzalaniline, formylalphanaphthylamine, aldehyde-amine and ketone-amine .condensation products, butyraldehyde-aniline and aldol-aniline and their derivatives (d) Nitrogen ring compounds, such as dicephalin and other similar phosphatides of plant or animal origin. There may also be utilized nerve or brain tissue and meat scrap residues,

alcohol and hydrocarbon soluble extracts of crude sugars such as crude cane or beet sugar or their residues such as blackstrap molasses.

The stabilizing procedures of the present invention are most applicable to non-volatile high molecular weight aliphatic hydrocarbons, and

these procedures may also be utilized with high boiling liquid hydrocarbon mixtures derived from other sources than petroleum and even in some instances they may be used with solid high molecular weight hydrocarbon mixtures.

Less preferably, these stablizing procedures may be employed with non-aliphatic hydrocarbons of high boiling point and still less preferably with high molecular weight glyceride oils, particularly the triglycerides of high molecular weight fatty acids having 12 to 36 carbon atoms, which acids may contain if desired one for more double bonds or hydroxy groups.

The invention is not particularly applicable to hydrocarbon compounds of volatile nature or having a boiling point less than about 200 F. to

Having'described my invention, what I claim 1. A process of improving-lubricating oils to decrease sludge formation and also to decrease their tendency to cause corrosion of metal surfaces, which comprises treating'the entire body of such oil with a relatively small amount of a combination of lecithin and an aromatic compound selected from the group consisting of polyhydroxy aranes, polyamino aranes, aminohydroxy aranes,

monoamino-poly-nuclear aranes and monohydroxy-poly-nuclear aranes at an elevated temperature in excess of 350 F. I

2. A process of improving lubricating oils to decrease sludge formation and also to decrease their tendency to cause corrosion of metal surfaces, which comprises treating the entire body of such oil with a relatively small amount of a combina tion of lecithin and a polyhydroxy benzene.

3. A process of improving lubricating oils to decrease sludge formation and also to decrease their tendency to cause corrosion of metal surfaces, which comprises treating the entire body of such oil with a relatively small amount of a combination of lecithin and an aminohydroxy benzene.

4. A process of improving lubricating oils to decrease sludge formation andalso to decrease their tendency to cause corrosion of metal surfaces, which comprises treating the entire body of such oil with a relatively small amount of a combination of lecithin and hydroquinone.

5. A process of improving lubricating oils to decrease sludge formation and also to decrease their tendency to cause corrosion of metal surfaces, which comprises treating the entire body of such oil with a relatively small amount, less than 0.75%, of a combination of about equal proportions of lecithin and an aromatic compound selected from the group consisting of polyhydroxy aranes, polyamino aranes, aminohydroxy aranes, monoamino-poly-nuclear aranes and monohy- 'droxy-poly-nuclear aranes at an elevated temperature in excess of 350 F.

6. A' process of improving lubricating oils to decrease sludge formation and also to decrease their tendency to cause corrosion of metal surfaces, which comprises treating the entire body of such oil with a relatively small amount, less than 0.75%, of a combination of about equal proportions of lecithin and an aromatic compound selected from the group consisting of polyhydroxy aranes, polyamino aranes, aminohydroxy aranes, monoamino-poly-nuclear aranes and monohyvdroxy-poly-nuclear aranes at an elevated temperature of between about 400 F. and 600 F.

, '7. A substantially stabilized lubricating oil resistant to sludge formation and having a decreased tendency toward corrosion of metal surfaces containing the heat reaction products of the entire body of the lubricating oil with a small amount of a combination of lecithin and an aromatic compound selected from the group consisting of polyhydro'xy aranes, polyamino aranes, aminohydroxy aranes, monoamino-poly-nuclear aranes and monohydroxy-poly-nuclear aranes, said reaction products having been formed in the lubricating oil at a temperature in excess of 350 F. 1

8. A substantially stabilized lubricating oil resistant to sludge formation and having a decreased tendency toward corrosion of metal surfaces containing the heat reaction products of the entire body of the lubricating oil with a small amount of a combination of lecithin and a polyhydroxy benzene, said reaction products having been formed in theiubricating oil at a temperature in excess of 350 F.

9. A substantially stabilized lubricating oil resistant to sludge formation and having a decreased tendency toward corrosion of metal surformed in the lubricating oil at a temperature in having been formed in the lubricating oil at a temperature in excess 01 350 F.

10. A substantially. stabilized lubricating oil resistant to sludge formation and having a decreased tendency toward corrosion of metal surfaces containing the heat reaction products of the entire body or the lubricating oil with a small amount ot'a combination of lecithin and hydroquinone, said reaction products having been excess of 850 F. Y

11. A process of treating lubricating oils which comprises mixing the entire body of the lubricating oil with 0.075% to 0.75% oi a mixture or 5 to v 30 parts by weight of lecithin and about 20 parts by weight of hydroquinone, and then heating the entire body of oil to .a temperature of 400 F. to

12; A process of improving lubricating oils to decrease sludgeiormation and also to decrease 20 their tendency to cause corrosion of metal surraces, which comprises treating the entire body 01' smm rmsrmn. as 

